LePipe.it - My New Pascucci & Posella!

[PipeIT]

First I want to give a BIG SHOUT-OUT to Antonio and LePipe.it, amazing service and an amazing collection of Italian pipes! ?

Five Stars all the way!

https://www.lepipe.it/en/default.asp

You always read about a lot of people wanting to buy big names in pipes, a lot of what is being sold on LePipe.it are not big name carvers/companies, many are simply a one man show.

So if the big names of pipes is on your mind, when I started seeing these, I was like, these look as impressive as a Castello at no where near the costs. Granted there are expensive pipes on LePipe.it too, I am simply referring to the mass amount of ones that are not, including mine!

Ok, let’s get the show on the road!

So, the first thing that I consider that many might think is the deal breaker here, is getting pipes shipped from Italy! Have no fear, shipping is done FedEx Express at 14 Euro on an order, of which I do know that covers for 1-2 pipes, not sure if the price goes up any for 3 or more.

14 Euro as of today’s market is only $16.99 USD!

My package arrived in like 5-7 days! So I can tell you, this was a walk in the park!

So fear not my Fellow Pipe Smokers over those Castello prices, because looking over these two pipes in my hands, and these pictures barely justify them, all I can say is WOW, I’m blown away!

When I get a few more pennies saved up, I’m certainly looking for another fine Italian beauty over at LePipe.it! ?

My pipes arrived on December 26th, but I decided to open these today on the New Year, as my new New Year Pipes!

These are a few pictures of the Pascucci taken by LePipe.it. ( Lovat Shape )





Here’s a few pictures I took of the Pascucci. LePipe.it threw in a free wooden tamper, shown in the picture.





These are a few pictures of the Posella taken by LePipe.it. ( Brandy Shape )







Here’s a few pictures I took of the Posella.



FATTA A MANO = Hand Made





STAY TUNED SMOKE REVIEW COMING NEXT!

ALOHA! ? ?

 

[PipeIT]

Here’s a little info on both of the carvers on Pipedia, more can also be found online.


Pipedia on Mario Pascucci.

Mario Pascucci - Pipedia

pipedia.org

Pipedia on Vitaliano Posella

Posella - Pipedia

pipedia.org

 

[Lawyer66]

Those are two absolutely beautiful pipes. These posts really excite PAD for me ?

 

[PipeIT]

Pipe Specs!

Vitaliano Posella: Rusticated

• Length: 5.35 in. | 136 mm
• Weight: 67 grams
• Bowl Height: 1.89 in. | 48 mm
• Chamber Depth: 1.50 in. | 38 mm
• Chamber Diameter: 0.83 in. | 21 mm
• Outside Diameter: 1.73 in. | 44 mm
• Stem Material: Acrylic
• Filter: None
• Shape: Brandy
• Finish: Rusticated
• Material: Briar
• Country: Italy

Mario Pascucci: Rusticated

• Length: 5.55 in. | 141 mm
• Weight: 36 grams
• Bowl Height: 1.77 in. | 45 mm
• Chamber Depth: 1.46 in. | 37 mm
• Chamber Diameter: 0.75 in. | 19 mm
• Outside Diameter: 1.42 in. | 36 mm
• Stem Material: Acrylic
• Filter: None
• Shape: Lovat
• Finish: Rusticated
• Material:Briar
• Country:Italy

 

[PipeIT]

The verdict is in, and the Winner for the New Year Pipe Smoke is the Mario Pascucci! ?

So tonight on January 1st 2021, I will be smoking C&D Small Batch Carolina Red Flake, it’s only from September 2020.

Tomorrow I’ll be back to report on the first bowl!




HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

[danimalia]

Fantastic. I believe I had admired that very Pascucci or one like it. I really like the straight lines and subtle forward cant of the bowl. Great finds.

I love to browse the LePipe.it site. Well organized with nice photos. I agree there are some good bargains among the lesser known Italian carvers sometimes. Like, a really surprising number of handmade pipes for less than 200€. Never ordered from them but almost certainly will at some point. Glad to hear the experience was so smooth.

 

[kcghost]

Those are good looking pipes!

 

[PipeIT]

Ok I’m back today with a review on yesterday’s smoke, let the drum roll begin! ?

I have my C&D Carolina Red Flake jarred, took some out, rubbed it out and let it dry on a plate for one hour.

I then gravity packed the bowl.

Now this all went on around dinner and movie time, so I actually then ate, next started to look for a movie to watch, and the tabac sat in the chamber for like 45 minutes before I lit it.

After fumbling around on Hulu, Netflix and Prime, I remembered I saved a movie in Prime to my Watch List, ‘Journey’s End’, pretty decent movie too!

The movie starts out with someone holding a book, then closes it, the camera then brings this person, a soldier into view, smoking a pipe! LOL

I was like you have to be kidding me, the first movie of the New Year I watch, starts out with someone smoking a pipe. Next he then bangs the bowl to the heel of his shoe to knock the tabac out and gets up!

All I thought was I guess I’m on the right Journey!

Here’s a picture I took of this Intro Scene, smoking the pipe, I’ll never forget it!



I went extremely slow with the smoking, in fact 6 hours, and I only smoked half of the bowl, that slow!

I wanted to very gently break the pipe in. I would give it a small light, sometimes barely burning the tabac, other times a slightly decent ember going inside the chamber, and I would also gently sip, 1-2, sometimes 3 small sips, then let the tabac go out and the pipe cool down, before doing this all over, the same slow and gentle way.

The entire smoke was to my surprise, amazingly sweet and wonderful, with all the flavors, subtleties, and nuances one would come to expect if your tongue was jiminks. LOL ?

I was really taken back by this experience, because it had been a very long time since I had a nice smoking pipe in my hands, to realize, I had finally arrived at the Tabac Station, and it was wonderful. ?️?

Like the movie, this is not my Journey’s End, this is my Journey Beginning, and I can tell you in all honesty, last night was one of the greatest smoking experience of my life! ? ?

Mario Pascucci!, has made an amazing pipe here, and I’m sure all the others are just as amazing too, with this as an indication of his fine craftsmanship!

Viva La Italy ??

 

[danimalia]

Excellent write-up, dude! Sounds like you were extremely careful breaking in your pipe, and in so doing, found an excellent way to enjoy a VA flake. I don't have that kind of patience personally, though I do try to select an easy and cool burning tobacco for the first few bowls and set it down if it starts to feel hot.

Hope you do a follow-up with the Posella!

 

[danimalia]

By the way, I noticed both pipes have a smooth crown on the bowl that descends a few MMs. Was that something you were specifically looking for, or just a coincidence? Radice does that with some of their Rinds and it's a cool effect, I think.

 

[PipeIT]

By the way, I noticed both pipes have a smooth crown on the bowl that descends a few MMs. Was that something you were specifically looking for, or just a coincidence? Radice does that with some of their Rinds and it's a cool effect, I think.

This is how I look at a pipe, not sure about the Crown you are referring to? ?

 

[danimalia]

This is how I look at a pipe, not sure about the Crown you are referring to? ?

View attachment 58471

I'm talking about the smooth part of the bowl exterior near the rim, above the rustication. On a lot of pipes the rusticaction will extend all the way to the rim, which may or may not be smooth itself.. Was curious if that was something you were specifically looking for or just a coincidence that both pipes are like that... It's kind of an interesting look and not super uncommon among Italian pipes from what I've seen while browsing.

 

[PipeIT]

Ahh the smooth rims along the top. It was not something I was particularly looking for, it just caught my attention.

The Pascucci was the first pipe that caught my attention on LePipe.it, thought I was looking at a Castello, later I saw the Posella, which also seemed Castello like, and the Brandy shape and rim, really caught my attention, besides the Rusticated look of it

Drill work on both pipes is 1st Class, nice, clean and straight, both pipes ending in a really nice clean looking Tear Drop shape from the drill in the bottom of the chamber.

Both chambers interior finishes are also silky smooth, like a baby’s bottom! LOL ?

 

[markus]

Beautiful pipes, espescially the Pascucci, I have a bit of a soft spot for Lovat's!

 

[PipeIT]

Beautiful pipes, espescially the Pascucci, I have a bit of a soft spot for Lovat's!

It’s the first Lovat and Brandy shapes I’ve ever owned.

This Posella Lovat looks really nice, I had my eyes on that one before too.

https://www.lepipe.it/de/scheda.asp?ID=4504

 

[PipeIT]

As a Pipe Smoker, I’m always either smoking or playing with my pipes, aren’t we all!

In my excitement I wasn’t paying attention, to later realize that on the Pascucci, the Tenon and Stem are two pieces. The bottom of the Tenon has a slight flare/rim to it, because of this, it leaves a hairline gap between stem and shank, but it’s really hard to notice.

I also learned that the ‘P’ he places on the top of all of the Stems are done in Sterling Silver.... Ohhh some fancy bling! LOL ??

This picture shows the Tenon and Stem as two pieces, you can also notice the Silver color of the ‘P’.






This is the gap, as I mentioned before it’s hard to tell, more noticeable against a light/bright background.




P.S. This is still an amazing Smoking & Looking Pipe!

 

[PipeIT]

Smoking Review on the Posella!

I made a mistake on the Specs, it’s a Bent Brandy shape.

I smoked a bowl of the same C&D Carolina Red Flake. I hand rubbed it out and let dry for an hour.

The smoking was extremely cool, which seems only natural given the thickness and density of the briar.

But, overall from beginning to end, it was a bit rough with a bitter edge to the smoke.

Also for about half way through the bowl, there was a slight chemical plastic taste coming through the stem, it eventually wore off.

So with these slight bitter briar wood and plastic tastes going on, I hit Google.

1. I don’t recall seeing anything online over plastic tastes for others in any acrylic stems on any pipes, but as I mentioned it wore off.

The Tenon and Stem on the Posella are one piece, so this wasn’t a glue issue.

2. I did however read online, that a lot of people have experienced slightly unpleasant wood tastes in new Briar pipes, also some saying they enjoyed new Briar tastes in a new pipe, but later when the pipe broke in it was amazing, and for others not so amazing, thus, the world of Briar, sometimes good, sometimes not.

We really need some better Science & Technology in the world of Pipes, as we head into the future and not some Las Vegas roll of the dice luck!

I have 3 pipes ahead of the Posella in my drying rotation, so in 4 days I’ll be back with a Second Smoke Review!

 

[Grangerous]

Pipe? That’s a beer stein! Like a small coconut with a stem. Enjoy!

 

[PipeIT]

Pipe? That’s a beer stein! Like a small coconut with a stem. Enjoy!

LOL

The LePipe.it pictures make it look shorter and stubbier.

Funny living here, I never thought of Coconut, I was thinking a little Pufferfish. LOL

In real life the size is quite nice.

 

[PipeIT]

Here’s a side view with it in my mouth.